The spirit Nea remained invisible.
Yet about ten meters away from us, a glowing orb materialized.
That orb must be the spirit herself.
「Alexia.」
「Y-Yes…!」
Alexia immediately knelt in response.
Nea’s voice carried an icy edge as she spoke.
「Kill Henry. That was my explicit order.」
「Regarding that matter, I wish to formally appeal—」
Alexia began, then continued.
「This man Henry cannot be simply labeled as evil. He saved a young girl I know from a monster attack. Had he not intervened, she might have died.」
「……」
「Henry claims he was framed by the Hero and was nearly killed… As you may have overheard earlier, I cannot ignore his testimony. If he’s not truly a villain, then executing him would be—」
「I understand your point. But his morality is irrelevant.」
Nea cut Alexia off mid-sentence.
The spirit continued.
「Henry is a calamity upon this world. When he first entered the Theocracy, I only had vague premonitions… but facing him now, I see clearly. He should not exist in this world.」
Quite the accusation.
A calamity upon this world…
If there’s any basis for such a claim, it must be my psychokinesis.
While the spirit might not know the specifics of my power, she likely senses its presence on some instinctive level.
Alexia asked in confusion.
「B-But why would you think that?」
「It’s a spirit’s intuition. No explanation would satisfy you.」
「Still, Henry is—」
「You keep contradicting me. As a resident of the Theocracy, you need only obey my directives.」
Nea’s cold dismissal hung in the air.
Then—
A thread-thin beam of light shot from the orb piercing Alexia’s forehead.
Her eyes flew wide open before going disturbingly blank.
「I’ll repeat myself. Kill Henry.」
「…Yes.」
Suddenly, Alexia stopped arguing and complied.
Her voice devoid of its earlier conviction—as if her will had been erased.
Hmm, I see.
(So it’s mind control…)
That beam of light must have stripped Alexia of her free will turning her into Nea’s puppet.
The spirit then made a proclamation.
『Hear me, knights of the Theocracy.』
Though not particularly loud, her voice carried unnaturally far, reaching not just us but the distant knights as well.
The spirit’s command rang out.
『I am Nea. The spirit who governs this land.』
The next instant—
Alexia moved without warning, landing a kick that sent me flying.
「Gh—!」
Caught off guard, I was launched dozens of meters, crashing through the grove and back onto the Cordelio Plains.
『Thus I decree to the Theocracy’s knights—Execute Henry immediately.』
With those words, the spirit passed her command.
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